updated 05:55 pm EDT, Thu April 7, 2011

Company said to have a hold on 60% of the market

Reaffirming earlier reports, ThinkEquity analyst Rajesh Ghai suggests Apple has established a tight grip on component supplies. The company is said to have reserved the majority of touchscreen supplies, reducing the probability of iPad 2 shipping delays. The analyst did suggest, however, that Apple may be facing an "unspectacular" second quarter.

"Apple has already booked approximately 60% of the total available touch panel capacity," Ghai wrote.

Despite a number of reports suggesting Apple's component supplies are not threatened by the disaster in Japan, analysts have disagreed over the impact of rising component prices on the company's margins. Sources allege Apple may have agreed to cover additional costs and pay suppliers in cash to avoid any interruptions in the flow of components.

Ghai notes that Apple may still maintain its overall margins due to the Verizon iPhone 4 launch, as the smartphone is believed to fetch a larger margin than that of Apple's other products. In the long run, an iPhone 5 equipped with LTE or NFC capabilities is expected to help the company maintain its lead in the second half of the year. [viaBarron's]

And Yet Another . . .

. . . unheard-of "anal-yst" who puts nothing at risk with his prediction, for he has no reputation to defend, here or abroad. Here's my prediction: All of the other computer/tablet-makers are absolutely going to lose their asses this quarter. (Witness Samsung's meltdown of 32+% loss in profits y-o-y, announced just yesterday!) And, sadly, my credentials are just as good as this Rajesh Ghai guy. It just goes to show ya': Predictions are really difficult to make, especially when they're about the future.

how clever

Just another FUD pusher whoring for hits...

An Apple "unspectacular" quarter is something most companies would give their left gonads for. I wonder if this dude knows about Apple device sales in China. Apple is opening up store after store around the globe and sales are increasing by the quarter, so I'm not certain what is "unspectacular" for Apple anymore, at least in this dude's terms. Apple gave a good guidance for this quarter and most thought they'd meet it. Apple hasn't given any numbers for the Verizon iPhone 4, so if this dude believes iPhone sales sucked, then that's his problem. Unless this Raj has an accurately working crystal ball, he's merely speculating on some rumors he's heard.